By Aaron Hansen, Assistant National Director
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| Aaron Hansen |
How is your contract treating you? Our contract is an agreement of the work rules between the union and the company that we must live by every day. It covers important items such as work scope to overtime pay and even to retirement benefits. At Southwest Airlines (SWA) our negotiators have been working on our Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) contract for over two years and are still addressing very critical issues with little-to-no movement. SWA has “must haves” and we have certain sticking points that we will not budge on either.
The Company has asked us to place our bet on SWA. It is appalling that a company poised to earn profits in excess of over a billion dollars in 2014 is asking employees to take a gamble with our compensation. If the Company is so confident that our future is so bright, why are they asking us to speculate or guess on our wages? Estimated raises do not secure your ability to provide for you and your family. If you are one of those who believe you make enough money already, then you have to ask yourself how much overtime do you work, and more importantly, what is your skill at our craft worth? I have found that those who claim they make enough are those who work a lot of overtime. Keep in mind that each year we do not get a raise we are taking a pay cut in excess of 1.5%. How humiliating is that?
The Company claims they are not asking for concessionary language and still continue to refer to bankrupt airlines and also the ultra-low cost carriers. The Company wants to compensate you as though you are employed by an airline in bankruptcy. Our hard work has ensured that Southwest is not in the same boat as other airlines. Despite record profits, has anyone seen their working conditions improve over the last year, or in the last five years for that matter?
Please be cognizant, if your supervisor/manager is aggressive in an attempt to make you listen to the Company’s argument for their position at the table, simply say, "My union speaks for me! This should be discussed at that negotiating table!” Don’t fall for the fuzzy math and propaganda. AMFA is ready and willing to listen if the Company in turn is willing to take our proposals seriously.
Be aware of the impact that changes we accept to our contract have on our future - they are for the most part irreversible. I recall advice that our founder O.V. Delle-Femine use to say regarding the negotiation of contracts: "If we concede something in our contract, it is almost impossible to get it back in the future.” You should also be aware of changes to your work environment, such as the move to the EPIC maintenance program at SWA, otherwise known as “C-check under the stars.” So far the workload produced from this change has been concerning and is being discussed at the highest levels. Ultimately, you must remember that the Company will maintain or add to the work packages as they see them continually done on time.
